The present invention relates to swimming fins, especially the open-shoe type of swimming fin with a heel strap secured to both sides of the foot socket, and relates more particularly to a buckle for adjustably fastening the strap to the fin.
Many combinations for swimming fins of this kind are known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,385 discloses a swimming fin that comprises a heel strap attached to the opposite sides of the foot socket by means of a buckle consisting of two parts that fit one inside the other with a snap action.
The fin having a buckle fitted with such a closure device does, however, have many disadvantages. In the first place, closure systems such as those disclosed in the U.S. patent cited above require that the strap tension be adjusted each time the fin is put on because in order to fit the two parts of the buckle together it is necessary to slacken the length of strap. Moreover, closing, unlike releasing, always requires the use of both hands. There are also problems relating to carrying the fins once the buckle has been released: in order that the strap can be used as a hand grip for carrying the fin, it has to be refastened. This feature also creates a risk when unfastening the buckle before, for example, climbing into a boat, because the fin may slip out of the hand and be lost. Another problem arises if the underwater user of the fin wears gloves, which are usually quite thick, as these make it very difficult to fasten and unfasten the buckle whether in or out of the water.
The object of the present invention is therefore a fin with a heel strap secured at both sides of the foot socket, this strap being attached to at least one side of the socket by means that will overcome the disadvantages of known systems of the prior art.
The subject of the invention is therefore a fin with a buckle for securing the heel strap to the open-shoe type fin, in which said buckle comprises: a base piece connected by a pivot to the side of the fin next to the socket; a lever hinged at one end in said base piece; and an arm bearing at one end the means for connection to said strap, while its other end is hinged at a point on said lever between the end hinged to the base piece and the free end.
Advantageously, said means for the connection of said strap allow for its length to be adjusted.
In addition, the lever engages in a restrained closure with said base piece .